Membrane gas valve for pulsing a gas
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorJoseph Yudovsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas valve for pulsing a gas comprises a housing having an inlet port, an outlet port, a membrane, and an actuator, wherein the actuator selectively engages the membrane with the inlet port. In one embodiment, a plurality of the gas valves are coupled together to form an apparatus for synchronized pulsing of a plurality of individual gases.
Claims20
A gas valve for pulsing a gas, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port;
- a selector cam having at least one timing lobe;
- a membrane positioned proximate the inlet port;
- and
- a pivotally mounted actuator for selectively engaging the membrane with the inlet port, wherein a rotation of the selector cam selectively engages the pivotally mounted actuator.
A gas valve for pulsing a gas, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port;
- a membrane positioned proximate the inlet port;
- and
- a pivotally mounted actuator for selectively engaging the membrane with the inlet port, wherein the pivotally mounted actuator comprises a shaft and a bias member to bias the shaft against the housing.
A system for processing semiconductor wafers comprising:
- a processing chamber;
- a source of at least one gas;
- and
- a gas valve for pulsing said at least one gas to the processing chamber, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet port, an outlet port, and a selector cam having at least one timing lobe;
- a membrane positioned proximate the inlet port;
- and
- a pivotally mounted actuator for selectively engaging the membrane with the inlet port, wherein a rotation of the selector cam selectively engages the pivotally mounted actuator.
An apparatus for pulsing a plurality of gases, comprising:
- a plurality of cooperating gas valves coupled to a single drive, each of said gas valves comprising:
- a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port;
- a membrane positioned proximate the inlet port;
- an actuator for selectively engaging the membrane with the inlet port, wherein the actuator comprises:
- a driving shaft and a bias member to bias the driving shaft against the housing, and;
- a selector cam having at least one timing lobe, wherein a rotation of the cam selectively engages the actuator.
An apparatus for pulsing a plurality of gases, comprising:
- a plurality of cooperating gas valves coupled to a single drive, each of said gas valves comprising:
- a housing having an inlet port, and an outlet port;
- a selector cam having at least one timing lobe;
- a membrane positioned proximate the inlet port;
- and
- an actuator for selectively engaging the membrane with the inlet port, wherein a rotation of the selector cam selectively engages the actuator and the selector cam in each housing is sequentially coupled.
An apparatus for pulsing a plurality of gases, comprising:
- a plurality of cooperating gas valves coupled to a single drive, each of said gas valves comprising:
- a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port;
- a selector cam;
- a driving shaft that is common to said gas valves;
- a membrane positioned proximate the inlet port;
- and
- an actuator for selectively engaging the membrane with the inlet port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.